Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, March 2, 2003

Rusty Smith takes the lead against Apolo Anton Ohno, Alex Izykowski and J.P. Kepka during group A of the Elite Men Finals 1000 M race. Ohno eventually came back to win the race and Smith came in second.

BAY CITY  "Impressive" doesnt quite do justice to Apolo Anton Ohnos performance at the Dow U.S. Short Track Championships.

"Jaw-dropping" would probably be a more fitting description.

Ohno completed a weekend of dominance Sunday by winning both the mens 1000-meter (1:33.593) and 3000-meter finals (5:07.487) to earn the title of national short track champion for the fifth time, including the last three years.

After Fridays time trials and Saturdays 1500-meter and 500-meter races, Ohno had a pretty comfortable lead on the rest of the field. Rather than letting up, however, he edged Rusty Smith in the 1000, then demolished everyone in the 3000.

In perhaps his most impressive race of the championships, Ohno jumped out to an early  and insurmountable  lead in the 27-lap 3000 race. The 20-year-old from Seattle lapped the rest of the field twice  with the exception of Smith, who Ohno lapped once  and easily coasted to victory.

His time of 5:07.487 was over five seconds faster than Smiths second-place 5:12.885.

"Usually, on the last day (of a competition), you like to back off a little bit and play it safe and rest up. Pretty much, you dont want to get hurt," said Ohno. "But today, I was feeling pretty good out there."

Aside from winning the national championship, Ohno also earns a spot on the U.S. World Team. Joining him on the World Team are Smith, J.P. Kepka, and Misi Toth, the top-four finishers at this weekends competition.

Ohno  who won every mens final in Bay City  now is setting his sights on becoming the first American to win a world title. The World Championships will be held March 21-23 in Warsaw, Poland.

"My main goal is to win World Championships," he noted.

Daily News/DANIELLE RAPPAPORT

Caroline Hallisey skates in a pack during the Elite Ladies Finals 1000 meter race. Hallisey eventually pulled in front of the pack to win the race.

On the womens side, Caroline Hallisey of Natick, Mass., was nearly as dominant.

Hallisey  who won both of Fridays time trials and both of Saturdays finals  won the 3000 (5:47.526) and finished seventh in the 1000 (1:45.434) on Sunday to win the national championship.

Hallisey, Maria Garcia, Allison Baver, and Brigid Farrell will comprise the womens U.S. World Team.

A two-time Olympian, Hallisey, 22, said she was equally pleased with making the World Team and winning the national title.

"My goal coming in was (making the) World Team," she said. "And Ive never been a U.S. champion, so thats kind of an added bonus."

She added that, in her mind, making the World Team is just as exciting as competing in the Olympics.

"I think its much harder to become a world champion than it is to win a gold medal at the Olympics," she said. "It ranks equal, if not harder, than the Olympics."

Garcia, 17, was the only skater to beat Hallisey this weekend. She won the 1000 final Sunday with a time of 1:37.937.

"Caroline skated amazing this weekend," said Garcia. " … She deserved (the national championship) this week."

Of local interest, Midlands Kristin Bedford finished ninth overall on the womens side, while her brother Ryan Bedford placed 14th overall among the men.

Rebounding from an injured left foot, which she sustained during a fall Saturday, Kristin took fifth in the 1000 (1:40.353) and 10th in the 3000 (6:03.952) to move up from Saturdays 11th-place standing.

"Im happy. Id like to know how I wouldve done if I couldve skated yesterday in the two events," said Kristin, who missed both Saturdays 1500 and 500 races after injuring herself in the preliminary heat of the 1500. " … Im happy I ended this way, though. It couldve been so much worse (after not getting any points Saturday)."

While able to walk and skate slowly without any pain, Kristin admitted that the injury bothered her when she tried to speed up.

"I tried to block it out, but pain was just shooting through my whole foot when I was pressing on that boot," she said.

Ryan Bedford, meanwhile, took ninth and won a rousing B Final in the 3000 (5:04.938). He also placed 11th in the 1000 (1:35.598) to move up two spots from his 16th-place standing on Saturday.

Despite meeting his goal of finishing in the top 16, Ryan seemed not entirely pleased with Sundays effort.

"When I came in here, I was just hoping to make top 16. But once you make top 16, youre like, Man, Ive got to be better than (that)," he said.

Next for both Kristin and Ryan is the U.S. Junior Nationals in Milwaukee in three weeks, then the North American Junior Championships, also in Milwaukee, in four weeks.

Kristin said she will return to Marquette on Tuesday to prepare for those events, then head back to Midland in the spring to graduate with her class at Midland High.

She will then spend at least another year training at the Olympic Education Center in Marquette, rather than opting for the U.S. National Team Camp in Colorado Springs.

Kristin said her decision to return to Marquette was prompted by the fact that she wants to compete in more long track events in nearby Milwaukee. She said she also is excited about the new trainer and new Chinese coach who are coming to Marquette.

"I just like the atmosphere (in Marquette)," she said. "Everythings coming together."

Meanwhile, Ryan Bedford is still hoping to receive an invitation to train and study at Marquette next year. He will apply for a spot at the OEC in April and likely will find out by late May whether or not he is invited.

Also of note Sunday, Chicagos Shani Davis failed in his bid to become the first American to make the World Team in both short track and long track in the same season. He finished seventh overall.

Bay Citys Alex Izykowski wound up eighth overall. He was fourth Sunday in both the 1000 finals (1:34.159) and the 3000 finals (5:22.246).